The Côn Ðảo Island Archipelago, Southern Vietnam

Côn Ðảo is a Vietnamese island group in the South China Sea (Biển Đông) in Vietnam.
There are 16 islands including various islets in the Côn Ðảo
Archipelago of which the largest island is known as Côn Sơn. The island can be
reached by boat or plane and is located 234km south of Ho Chi Minh International
Airport. A flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Côn Sơn takes approximately one
hour. Most permanent inhabitants of the islands are either fishermen or
farmers.

Côn Sơn is the location of a former prison complex constructed
in the late 1800s by the French colonisers who used it as
a brutal labour camp and political prison. The island
was subsequently used by the US-backed Saigon government during the
1960s until the end of the Vietnam-American war. The prisons include the
infamous Tiger Cages where some of Vietnam's
current leaders were held captive until the fall of South Vietnam in 1975.
A national cemetery situated near the various old prison camps include grave
sites of 2,000 former prisoners.

Côn Sơn town centre has a small historical district close to the
old French prison complex. Amongst the remaining buildings include the former
headquarters and residence of the French governors. Constructed in 1873 the
building has remained unchanged for 137 years and is the oldest surviving
building on the island. It now houses the Côn Ðảo Museum.
There are a number of other culturally significant sites close by, including
Pier 914 - the name refers to the number of
prisoners who died while construction the pier. Various prison buildings
remain on the island and can be visited by guided tours or on one's own accord.
Today, none of the prisons are in use and most of Côn Sơn, its surrounding
marine area, islands and islets have been declared a national
nature reserve.
Additionally, the Vietnamese authorities have recently applied for the
location to be recognised as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Pier 914 at the town centre of Côn Sơn Island was
named after the number of prisoners who died during its construction.

Côn Sơn is considered a top travel destination amongst Vietnamese
honeymoon couples, scuba divers and nature lovers alike, including a growing
number of international holidaymakers. The marine park is reputed for its rich
ecological biodiversity, including endangered green sea turtles and dugongs
as well as the highest collection of giant clams in the world. The island's
forests are equally noteworthy, including nearly 300 types of trees, of which
44 are found nowhere else in Vietnam.

Traditional Vietnamese fishing trawlers

The Côn Ðảo islands have remain relatively undisturbed until recently, mainly due to the
historical use of the main island as a prison location, the distance from the Vietnamese mainland, and their mountainous interiors with impenetrable thick forests. Researchers have
discovered a diverse range of mammals throughout the
archipelago, including deer mice, the rare black squirrel, macaque monkeys,
the giant water monitor lizard, butterfly and parrot fish.
Seasonal migrations of dolphins and black whales
(Prodelphinus malayensis) have also been observed
in coastal waters.
Still today, the islands remain far from a mass tourism destination.
Perhaps most visitors are Vietnamese war
veterans who arrive in groups and receive a warm reception by the local
authorities for their past achievements.

Dong Bac Bay on Côn Sơn Island / photo by Thao Le

In 2008 a Vietnamese investment group, Indochina Capital, began constructing
luxury residential villas and a resort along the beach stretch at
Dong Bac Bay on the main island with the aim to attract
property buyers and 5-star tourism to Côn Ðảo.
The resort is managed by
Six Senses
and is due to open in December 2010.